Spin-heavy teams meet with semi-final implications

Sep 29, 2012 Sports

Cricinfo – Sri Lanka and West Indies have hardly had highlight moments when playing each other. Their most talked-about match is actually one that didn’t happen, when West Indies refused to tour during the 1996 World Cup. There is Viv Richards’ 181 not out, there is Brian Lara’s 169 and his superlative Test tour of Sri Lanka in 2001, there are Muttiah Muralitharan’s exploits and Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s finish with four and six, but you really have to strain the memory

Ajantha Mendis

to come up with those.
A glorious rivalry is not about to start today, but they play a crucial Super Eights game, one that could possibly assure one of them a semi-final place. It is a crucial game for the sides for different reasons. Sri Lanka don’t have a positive net run-rate after their Super Over win, and West Indies will not be playing the last game of their group, so neither side will want to get into a net run-rate situation. The team that loses, though, could find themselves in exactly that situation.
Watch out for
International cricket went about 36 years without finger-flickers after John Gleeson retired in the ’70s, but on Saturday we will have two of that variety pitting their wits against each other: Ajantha Mendis and Sunil Narine. Both of them had an ordinary outings on the flat track in Pallekele. Mendis went for a career-worst 1 for 48, and Narine 0 for 33. They will both be itching to correct that record.
Lasith Malinga may not have taken a five-for or bowled wicket-maidens, but he made an impact at a time when most bowlers are looking for towels for their sweaty palms. His captain Mahela Jayawardene summed it up well after his Super Over: “Another day he might go for runs but you always back your ace bowler. It is good to have somebody who has control mentally over that situation. After that you try to execute your skills. It is important that you are tough in that situation and Mali is one of those guys.”

Team news
Ajantha Mendis is yet to fully recover from his side strain. Sri Lanka could play the same XI.
The legspinner Samuel Bardee slotted in nicely against England, and Andre Russell, who came into the XI in the match against Ireland, wasn’t even called upon to bowl. Choosing between Russell and Fidel Edwards might be West Indies’ only dilemma.

Pitch and conditions
Pallekele has provided the truest pitches in the tournament and consistent high scores. It has two more days to go through, and with a largish square available it should hold up. The rain and its imminent arrival remain a mystery after a seven-month dry period. The